


I'll Watch Over You

by waywarded



Category: Supernatural
Genre: BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), Bickering, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Huddling For Warmth, I Tried, M/M, Protective Castiel, Sleepy Dean Winchester, Snow, Winter Solstice, if him smiting snow counts as BAMF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 03:34:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17154521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywarded/pseuds/waywarded
Summary: Cas and Dean are trekking through a wintry forest, Dean is tired but too stubborn to rest, so Castiel makes him.





	I'll Watch Over You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noxlee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxlee/gifts).



> For noxlee! I hope you enjoy it, and I hope Cas is BAMF enough for your wishes, listen I love badass Castiel but writing is nOT EASY.
> 
> Thankkksss [jemariel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jemariel) for betareading! <3

“Hey, Dean, look at me.” Castiel takes a hold of the human’s forearm, forcing him to stop walking. Holds him still as he tries to shake him off of him. “Dean.”

 

“ _What_?” Dean snaps. “I’m OK. Just keep moving. We gotta… keep moving.”

 

“We’re taking a break,” Castiel decides as Dean’s eyes fail to focus on him. “You need to rest. You’re going to collapse sooner rather than later, at this rate.”

 

Dean huffs an unhappy laugh. “What do you suggest, man? A mattress made of snow? You think I won’t simply freeze to death if we stop moving?”

 

Cas shoots him a look. That’s it; he’s done, they are _taking a break_ , and he’s having none of Dean’s whining about it. His patience has its limits. Especially when what’s at stake is his loved ones’ safety. So, without saying anything, he lets go of Dean to crouch and rest his palm against the layer of snow covering the forest ground, nearly a foot thick. He gathers his grace. “Close your eyes,” he tells Dean, doesn’t wait for him to argue. Concentrates his energy, lets it blast through the snow in a flash of brightness, the snow under his hand and the surrounding few feet melting, the withered grass on the ground drying; he only stops as a brush catches flame, extending his arm to put it out.

 

He’s exhausted – but they have a tiny circle of dry forest, strategically below the boughs of an ancient tree they can sit under. “No, not a mattress made out of snow,” he says, out of breath. Raises his eyes to meet Dean’s.

 

His human is staring. Gaping, rather. “Don’t _do_ things like that without asking me! That was stupid, Cas, tiring yourself out like that, and for what? What the hell?” He glares at Castiel.

 

“You’re welcome,” Cas replies, sits Dean down against the huge tree, fixes his trenchcoat Dean’s been wrapped in the past couple hours, to fit around him tighter. “Sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

 

“How many times-” Dean argues, but doesn’t try to stand up. “That’s _creepy_ -”

 

“Dean, I swear, if I need to render you unconscious by force, I _will_.”

 

“That’s not gonna happen.”

 

They glare at each other for a while, before Cas yields, lowering his eyes, and just sits down next to Dean. “At least _rest_ ,” he demands; pleads. Wraps his arms around Dean, holding him loosely, presses a light kiss onto his temple. “For me? I melted a lot of snow just now, I _am_ a little tired.” Dean’s skin is so cold against his lips. Why hasn’t he said anything? Obviously the trenchcoat isn’t enough.

 

Dean sighs. Nuzzles against Cas, if a bit reluctantly. “An hour.”

 

“Three hours.”

 

“One.”

 

“ _Three_ hours, Dean.”

 

“OK, _two_ ,” Dean groans. “God, you’re hard work.”

 

“ _I’m_ hard work?” Cas quirks up an eyebrow.

 

“Shut up,” Dean mumbles.

 

Cas sighs, pulls him a little closer, trying to warm him up. “You’re freezing,” he notes softly, covering Dean’s hands with his own. He rubs at them to warm them up. Then lets go for a few seconds to be able to strip off of his suit jacket and to lay it over Dean’s hands, over his lap. Quickly hugs him closer again. He’s only wearing a thin shirt himself, now – but he can shut out something as corporeal as cold weather, when he wants to. The cold doesn’t bother him.

 

“Better?”

 

“A little,” Dean replies, all the fight out of him as he curls himself into a ball under Cas’s clothes, under Cas’s arms.

 

“Good.” Cas presses another kiss, this one onto Dean’s cheekbone.

 

“Did you just seriously smite a crapton of _snow_ , just for me?” the human chuckles, his eyes falling shut, as he rests his nose against the crook of Cas’s neck.

 

“I… technically… Not sure if you can call it _smiting_ , when...” He gives up. “Yes, I did.”

 

“You’re a romantic sap.”

 

“I’m just keeping you warm,” Cas mumbles, the corners of his lips tugging upwards, a little. He hopes Dean will actually fall asleep; he has zero intentions of waking him up in as little as two hours, if he’ll manage to sleep more.

 

It starts to snow – the feather-light snowflakes prompting Cas to gaze upwards as they fall through the bare branches of their tree. The sun is setting, painting the sky above grey; orange and pink nearer the horizon. The days are so short this time a year in Maine. “I think today’s the winter solstice,” Cas says quietly, more to himself than to Dean. He hopes he can get Dean back home to his brother for Christmas.

 

“Might be,” Dean mumbles, half awake. Cas looks at him in time to see his face crinkle when a snowflake lands on it to melt against the weak warmth of his skin.

 

Quietly, Cas brings his wings into the three dimensions surrounding them, letting them stay invisible but present. He drapes one, cautiously, over Dean’s head, letting it hover as shelter from the snow. “Just sleep, now,” he prompts gently, hoping Dean is already out of it enough to not argue with him.

 

And hours later, Cas can already predict, Dean will grumble at him for letting him sleep for too long, for not waking him up after the agreed two hours. He doesn’t care; he can keep Dean safe and warm enough, can get the both of them out of the forest sooner or later. Listening to the calming _thump-thump_ of Dean’s heartbeat, he sets his eyes towards the horizon again, gazing at the waning sunlight. They’re good. A bit lost, maybe – literally and metaphorically – but _good_. There is zero doubt they will find their way home; it’s only a matter of time.


End file.
